The Charleston City Council met in regular session on Monday, September 15, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall. Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin presided and City Clerk Miles C. Cary II conducted the roll. Twenty-five members were present, constituting a quorum; the closing roll call recorded Councilmembers Burka and King as absent. The meeting adjourned at 7:43 p.m., and the next regular meeting is scheduled for October 6, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
Council will please come to order. Members will please rise while Councilmember Overstreet leads us in prayer this evening. Let's bow our heads. Heavenly Father, we just thank you for allowing us to come together again to be about the business of our wonderful city. We all know that today is not promised to us, Heavenly Father. And even as uh City Council, we may not always agree, but we ask that during these times, Heavenly Father, that you help us to work together to bring about changes in our city in unity, Heavenly Father. We pray, Heavenly Father, for uh this past weekend that's been filled with tragedy. We we reminded that we should always pray, Father God, for for for everyone who's had to go through such things, Heavenly Father. We pray for compassion and sympathy and empathy, not only for those who are famous or in power, but even the families of homeless people or or the immigrants or or whomever, Father God, that we would put ourselves in their places, Heavenly Father, and know that they are they are fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters, Father God, even though we may have disagreements or whatever. We pray for unity of our city, that maybe we can be the first Heavenly Father to express it. Uh, we pray for empathy, we pray for peace. We pray, Father God, that even though we things may not be uh how we we may not be agreeable with each other, Heavenly Father, but that we always love one another, Heavenly Father, and that our tongue and our words can build up and encourage and edify and not tear down, Heavenly Father, because I know that every one of us is gonna meet our uh death one time, then we're going to be judged. So we just pray for that, and we pray for our city, we pray for each and every um worker of our city, we pray for their families, Heavenly Father, and we thank you, Heavenly Father, for this council. Thank you for our mayor, and Heavenly Father, and how we work so well together. I just want to thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you, Councilmember Overstreet. Councilwoman Rubio, would you please lead us in the pledge? And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Tara, please come to the microphone. Thank you, Tara. Well, the clerk coming back to a seat, I'll just go ahead and say, Tara and I, thank goodness there wasn't a traffic cop anywhere near us because Tara and I stopped traffic last week. We were trying to corral a little puppy that was uh frolicking up and down the road and come to find out today. We both are trying to stop him and staring at him, and he was so super cute. And I found out today you adopted him. So thank you for that. He is very cute. He's very spunky, very, very spunky. Actually, he adopted you, you didn't adopt him. He wasn't leaving your yard, and you know it. Yep. The clerk will now please read the claims against the city. A claim of American Electric Power, Dunbar, West Virginia alleges damage to property. A claim of Antonio Constantino, South Charleston, West Virginia alleges damage to vehicle. A claim of Charles Frostic, Charleston, West Virginia alleges damage to vehicle, a claim of Jamie Richmond, South Charleston, West Virginia alleges damage to vehicle. A claim of Kimberley Russell, Charleston, West Virginia alleges damage to vehicle. Please refer to the city solicitor and the clerk will now please read the proclamation. Proclamation, whereas every year, more than fifteen thousand children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer, a challenge that families in West Virginia know all too well and bravely face together. And whereas September is recognized as childhood cancer awareness month, a time to go gold, and stand together to lift up children and families, encourage advocacy, and promote early detection, quality, care, and survivorship resources. And whereas organizations like the Maddox Potter Foundation provide vital support and raise awareness in our communities, while also reminding us of the importance of advocacy for increased research funding and survivor services so that more children are not only survivors but thrive, leading fully and healthy lives. And whereas Maddox Potter's passion for golf, his bright spirit, and the love he inspired throughout Kenal Valley and beyond, continue to encourage others to act, to give, and to rally Ford progress in the fight against childhood cancer. And now, therefore, I, Amy Schuler Goodwin, mayor of the city of Charleston, do hereby recognize September 2025 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Charleston, West Virginia, and call on our community to honor the example of Maddox Mad Dog Potters, approaching life with courage and sharing hope with others. And witness whereof I've sent my hand and cause the seal of the executive department to be affixed this 15th day of September 2025. Here to accept this proclamation, members of the Potter family, including Lennox and Brooks, who both have very mean, good-looking golf swings. Boys, please come up and accept this proclamation on behalf of all of us. We all have records on our desk, but tell them about it. Yes, and tomorrow is go bowl for childhood answer awareness. So the whole state is on a line up, just like you did on January 24th for Madden's Day. Everybody were rolling now, they would just like to the next beautiful point. And we will bear our goal today and tomorrow.